In hospitals, patients often spend the majority, if not all, of their time in bed. Thus, a bed is not only used for sleeping, but a patient will also likely receive treatment while in bed. This has led to the development of a variety of adjustable beds, which may be tilted or inclined or which are provided with a sectioned deck to allow the bed, or at least the mattress, to be configured into a more convenient form for treating the patient or simply to provide a more comfortable position for sitting. Examples of such beds are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,231,904 to Shulkin, 3,277,501 to Frisz et al, 3,478,372 to Benoit et al and 3,611,452 to Turko et al. Related mechanisms are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,866,397 to Clewley and 3,243,825 to Tabbert.
For children's cots, a sectioned deck is generally not required. However, tilting of the deck may still be required for the treatment of various conditions and the alleviation of symptoms, for example: asthmatic children often find breathing easier when their upper body is raised; and children with cardiovascular conditions are preferably positioned with their upper body lowered.
In addition to possessing the capability to tilt, the deck of a cot must also be capable of withstanding a child jumping or bouncing on the mattress without causing collapse of the deck. This has been one of the problems associated with the conventional method of inclining a child's cot deck, in which one end of the deck is bodily lifted and rested on simple catches on the end frame of the bed.